Employers Want Dependable Workers

Over One-Third, 36.7% See New Technology and Resulting Multi-Tasking Making Them Less Productive

70.3% Say Technology is Slowing Social Skill Development in Younger Hires / Employees

PITTSBURGH – The Class of 2014, take notice: Your potential employers are looking for dependable employees who are team players and willing to learn, according to the latest results from the Robert Morris University Polling Institute Powered by Trib Total Media.

Thirty percent of the respondents to the poll said they were in a position to hire new employees or have input in the hiring process at their place of business. Asked to rate 33 traits, those in a position to hire listed as most important: reliable, dependable, bright/intelligent, willing to learn, organized, trainable, honest, and team player.

“Reliability, dependability and the openness to learn are skills honed while in college, which gives college graduates an advantage in this very competitive market,” said Wendy Beckemeyer, vice president for enrollment at RMU. “College students manage multiple expectations and deadlines while pursuing a long-term goal, traditionally four years, to acquire knowledge and skills that will serve them for a lifetime.”

The results of the RMU poll may give new college graduates reason to cover those tattoos and remove their piercings during job interviews. While nearly half of those in a position to hire, 46.9%, said they would very or somewhat willing to hire a job candidate with a piercing or tattoo, a substantial number, 38.3%, said they would be unwilling.

Among all respondents to the poll, 70.3% said they worry technology such as smart phones are impairing young workers’ social skills, and slightly more than half (52.1%) said their own employers limit social media use in the workplace. (Though 35.1% copped to using social media on the clock.)

But technology is not just a distraction at work: 44.8% of all respondents said that technology makes it difficult to balance their personal and work life since it allows them to access their work remotely. Overall, 36.7% of respondents believe that technology and its resulting multi-tasking makes them less productive.

ABOUT THE POLL: The Poll was conducted by the Robert Morris University Polling Institute Powered by Trib Total Media. Polling by the Institute is conducted on a regular basis and may also include spontaneous polling on occurring events.

METHODOLOGY: The poll sampled opinions of 1,004 people, approximately proportional to state population contribution nationwide. The survey was conducted May 6-13, 2014. All surveys were conducted using an online survey instrument. The poll has a +/- 3.0 percent margin of error at a 95 percent confidence level on a composite basis.

ABOUT ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY: Through 60 undergraduate and 20 graduate degree programs across five academic schools, Robert Morris University (RMU) in Pittsburgh, Pa., works to change its students' lives so that they can go out and change the lives of others for the better. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate, nontraditional and online students from 37 states and 37 nations are enrolled at RMU, which sits on 230 scenic acres just 20 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh. Emphasizing experiential learning, Robert Morris focuses on professional development, service learning, global awareness, undergraduate research, campus leadership, and cultural experiences, all of which are documented on our innovative Student Engagement Transcript. More than 100 clubs and organizations help students to develop leadership skills, network professionally, and meet friends. RMU also has 16 NCAA Division I athletic programs, including football, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s ice hockey, and men's and women's lacrosse.

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